The next morning, Yan Xiaonan got up early, full of energy. Ye Chen'er was already sitting in the courtyard eating breakfast. When she saw Yan Xiaonan, she quickly called out, "Nannan, come and eat breakfast, or you'll be late."
Yan Xiaonan stuck out her tongue. She had overslept today. Seeing the worried looks in her grandmother's and parents' eyes, she waved her hand and said, "I'm hungry. I could eat a whole cow. Mom, I want to eat."
Cuihua knew her daughter was comforting her, so she quickly took out the breakfast she had prepared: "Daughter, eat more, don't go hungry. If the food at school isn't good, come to the restaurant and I'll cook for you."
Yan Xiaonan nodded: "Thank you, Mom. A child with a mother is a treasure. I also have milk and a father. I am a lucky baby."
One sentence made all three of them feel a pang of sadness; Nan Nan is truly the treasure of the Yan family.
The bicycle bell rang crisply and loudly. Two girls rode their bikes, their schoolbags slung across their shoulders, laughing and chatting all the way to school in the sunlight, completely unaware of Li Qiang standing in the corner by the school gate.
Li Qiang has been staking out this place for over a week, but he still hasn't seen the person he's looking for. Not to mention Li Ping, he hasn't seen Yan Xiaonan or Ye Chen'er either. Maybe Li Ping isn't even in this school? He'll go staking out earlier today, and if he still can't see her, he'll try looking at another school.
After squatting for more than half an hour, the students gradually entered the school gate. Yan Xiaoqiang finally saw familiar faces: Yan Xiaonan and Ye Chen'er. Yan Xiaonan was already beautiful, but Ye Chen'er's radiant appearance was something Li Qiang hadn't expected.
Suppressing the urge to ask Ye Chen'er, Li Qiang squatted down again. The two families had already fallen out, and Ye Chen'er definitely wouldn't want to talk to Li Ping, so asking would be pointless.
Finally, when the school bell rang, Li Ping rushed into the school gate with her schoolbag on her back. Her daughter was too noisy, and she cried as soon as she put her down. The old bachelor couldn't coax her no matter what he did, but he had already applied to return to school, and the school had agreed, so he had to come to class today no matter what.
Seeing Li Ping hurrying along with a schoolbag on her back, Li Qiang's eyes flashed with anger. He deliberately pulled his hat down further and followed Li Ping into the school.
He made sure he saw which classroom Li Ping entered, then turned and left. He wanted to ruin Li Ping's reputation, he wanted her to be expelled from school, and he wanted her to compensate him for losing the opportunity to go to university because of her mischief.
Persistence pays off. Li Qiang kept a close watch on Li Ping every day, like a ghost. He knew not only where she lived, but also where the old bachelor worked, and that the two of them had a daughter.
A wicked thought popped into Li Qiang's mind: "If you're so ruthless, I'll be ruthless too." Every night, he would stake out near the old bachelor's house, waiting for his chance to strike. One day, the old bachelor went out to do something, and after he had gone far away, Li Qiang secretly used two wires to unlock the door and slipped inside.
Li Ping was writing at the table with her back to the door when Li Qiang suddenly covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief laced with anesthesia, which he had prepared beforehand. Li Ping, who was diligently doing her homework, was startled and, just before losing consciousness, saw a pair of familiar eyes.
"Oh no," Li Ping thought to herself. "The old bachelor has gone to buy milk powder for the little girl. I wonder when he'll be back."
Seeing that Li Ping had already fainted, Li Qiang took the handkerchief and put it in his pocket. He then began to scan the small room. There was a small bed with a little girl sleeping on it. Next to the bed was a table that could be used as both a dining table and a writing desk.
There was a five-drawer chest next to the table, dilapidated and with peeling paint. The drawers were crooked and couldn't be closed properly. Near the door, there was a coal stove and some coal briquettes. There was also a toilet at the foot of the bed. It seemed that eating, drinking, and relieving oneself all happened in this room.
Li Qiang scoffed inwardly. So what if he got into university? He was destined for a miserable life. Back in Shanghai, even though the house was small, at least there was a dining room, a shared public toilet, and a spacious kitchen. Unlike here, where even a fart would make the whole house stink.
Li Qiang had lost interest in looking at the room. He knew that Li Ping had a habit of hiding money and tickets under her pillow so that no one could steal them.
He walked to the bedside, picked up a pillow, and squeezed it. Sure enough, he found something hard. He took out his key and slashed it hard, tearing a hole in the already flimsy cotton cloth. He reached inside and pulled out two ten-yuan bills folded like tofu blocks, along with some cloth coupons and grain coupons. Li Qiang stuffed them into his pocket without hesitation.
He opened the chest of drawers again. Four of the five drawers were filled with clothes for two adults. Only the top drawer contained a few loose coins of one, two, and five cents, probably for buying soy sauce or getting hot water.
With the determination not to leave them a single penny, Li Qiang pocketed all the loose change, thinking, "I'd rather you betray me and starve to death."
After looking around again, Li Qiang saw that there was nothing good left to take and was about to leave when the little girl on the bed woke up. Whether she had wet herself or was hungry, she started crying loudly. Li Qiang was startled. There were neighbors all around, and he couldn't let the little girl make a fuss.
He took out the handkerchief from his pocket and forcefully covered the little girl's mouth and nose. Sure enough, after a while, the little girl stopped kicking her legs and stopped crying. Li Qiang was still worried, so he continued to cover her mouth and nose for a while before letting go. He exhaled and spat at the little girl, saying, "You look just like your mother."
Li Qiang, having made a great haul, didn't even leave behind half a can of milk powder on the dresser. He grabbed his things, closed the door, and left. He thought about how he had found a temporary job that paid fifteen yuan a month, and how although someone had died in the house, he was used to it. He figured he'd find a pretty girl someday and settle down.
The old bachelor returned with a bag of baby formula. He'd finally bought some, even though it was expensive, because he needed to make sure his little girl had enough to eat. He opened the door beaming, "Li Ping, I got the formula. You don't need to..."
The rest of the words stuck in his throat. Li Ping was sleeping on the table, and the little girl was also fast asleep. The old bachelor shook his head with a smile. Li Ping was really tired. Why not wake her up and let her go to bed?
He shook Li Ping with his hand, but there was no response. He shook her with more force, but still no response. The old bachelor felt a chill and knew that something was wrong. He quickly put his hand under Li Ping's nose. Fortunately, she was breathing.
But in this situation, it was obvious that something had been put on the table. He knew this method better than anyone. He scanned the room and saw the broken pillow, the open drawer, and even the half-empty can of milk powder on the dresser was gone.
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